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Council preserves and funds new 'Elevate' grants to stabilize human-services organizations
Summary
The council approved a multi-year Elevate program funding package — roughly $10 million over three years — to provide organizational-level support to local nonprofits delivering housing stability, financial security and behavioral-health services; agency leaders from Epic Youth urged continued investment and described the review process used to award funds.
Columbus City Council approved ordinances to fund and implement the Elevate program, a multi-year grant initiative designed to stabilize and build capacity within local nonprofit social-service providers.
Council Member Green described Ordinance 0897-2026, which the council advanced on second reading, as a roughly $10 million organizational-level investment spread across a three-year cycle. The program targets tax-exempt organizations with annual operating budgets above $250,000 and prioritizes efforts in financial security, housing stability and behavioral health. Funding sources listed in the discussion include hotel/motel tax funds and the cannabis host community special revenue fund.
Director Stevens explained that the city used a peer-review process for this funding cycle: applicants nominated reviewers and each application was independently reviewed and ranked multiple times (the transcript reports each application was re-reviewed about 20 times), and those rankings made up 100% of the funding decisions; the city did not override the reviewer recommendations. Council members framed the program as an investment that prevents greater future costs and strengthens a sector that the city’s budget and residents rely on.
Sher Hathaway, COO of Epic Youth, and student leader Kendall Bell testified in support of the funding. Hathaway described the organizations supported by Elevate as “boots on the ground” prevention and workforce programs whose operations require stable funding to maintain programs and payroll. Kendall Bell, an 11th grader and student-board chair at Epic Youth, said the organization’s leadership and professional-development offerings changed her trajectory and called Elevate an investment in long-term local workforce and civic outcomes.
The council passed related Elevate grant ordinances and several single-agency grant agreements by roll call, including specific grants for Alvis Inc. and the Columbus Early Learning Center in amounts up to $75,000 each. Council emphasized the importance of predictability for nonprofit budgets during a period of federal and philanthropic funding contraction.
Next steps include execution of grant agreements, advancement of funds on predetermined schedules and standard post-award reporting required by the Department of Development.
